Life's too short but so am I

Month: March 2018

I want to start by apologizing for nearly a week of absence on the blog front, I’ve been busy lately (not an excuse I know.) I think going forward it’s fair to say I’ll post two or three times a week– this is a realistic goal for me.

I’ve almost hit the one month mark… YAY this makes me super happy and proud.

If I do a little reflection on the last 24 days I think the results due to the change in lifestyle are promising: I feel better, I’ve lost all the extra weight (I gained from the steroids), I look better & I’ve began to sleep better.

I can honestly say I don’t crave any meat… I can smell it, watch others eat it & even cook it without having the desire to consume it. I have tried a variety of plant based recipes and the flavours are equal, if not better than the meat dishes.

Todays post is going to be a little different than the other ones due to the fact that it’s the blog’s one YEAR anniversary and I haven’t posted.

I’m headed south today and promise to keep you updated how being plant based is realistic even on vacation.

Ou who doesn’t love a cozy fun Friday after a long week?? I know I do.

Fridays as a kid were cheat days, my mom always cooked a delicious fresh mealevery night BUT Friyays were 99% of the time restaurant dinner. (I’m not complaining, I was always allowed to order whatever I wanted so Friday dinners were always a treat!)

Even though I’ve decided switch to a plant based lifestyle I still want fridays to consist of a little less healthy alternative to my weekly dinners. I want to some of the less healthy ingredients, like pastry or bread because quite honestly I love a good carb dinner once in a while.

DAILY TIPS

Don’t push your choices down anyones throat… Nobody likes the pushy vegan who points out every reason they’re vegetarian/ vegan. Let the results do the talking. When someones asks you how you cleared up your skin- Plant based lifestyle. When someone asks how you have so much energy- Plant based life style. When someone asks how you’ve lost that extra 10 pounds you just couldn’t shake off- Plant based lifestyle.

Someone recently said to me: “You never meet a vegetarian/vegan without knowing they are.” Unless you’re at a restaurant and you need to clarify the ingredients in a dish DON’T say anything. I’m not saying you should be ashamed of the lifestyle you’ve chosen but, you can’t force anyone to be or do what you want them to.

In a medium size saucepan (on medium heat) add butter, oil, garlic, onion and all other spices until fragrant.

Once fragrant, add blended mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat.

Once hot add the shredded carrot, crumbled broccoli and tomato.

Once the mixture is hot, let cool before rolling the triangles. *If you’re in a rush to eat like me 99% of the time the rolls can be rolled while the mixture is still hot but the texture of the pastry isn’t quite as fluffy.*

Once the triangles are folded, squish the edges to insure the mixture stays inside. (I use a fork.)

*If you’re wondering why the featured photo is me, I just wanted to point out the wonders this lifestyle has done for my skin. I’ve always had minimal breakouts but now my skin is essentially flawless- no filter, no editing. If you want to see the whole picture check out my Instagram- Anyse Lebeau*

Yay so now that I’m caught up, I’ll be back to posting a blog a day!

Wednesday wasn’t that busy for a hump day… I handed out some resumes, went on the hunt for a spring coat and enjoyed the beautiful weather outside.

Today (being Thursday) was probably one of my busiest days… I usually tutor and plan my meals for the weekend ahead that way, I don’t need to prep when I’m visiting family or hanging with friends!

Today I spent A LOT of time in the kitchen but, I really think it paid off…

DAILY TIP(S)

I think todays daily tip is pretty straightforward- have an open mind. Having an open mind in general is a great characteristic but, having an open mind when it comes to food is a NECESSITY if you want the lifestyle to stick.

1 tsp of celery seed (It seems like you could skip this ingredient but don’t)

1 tsp of pepper

1/4 tsp of salt

1 can of chickpeas (no salt added)

1 roll of puff pastry (or make you’re own)

1/3 cup of flour + 2 tbsp

1/4 cup of butter (or vegan alternative)

2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth (I used organic)

Preheat oven at 400 F

Steam the broccoli, carrots, potatoes and celery until almost soft.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and garlic, cook until translucent.

Add celery seed, pepper and salt; stir until combined.

Slowly add flour to saucepan and mix.

Once the flour is mixed in slowly add the broth until combined. Simmer over medium heat until the mixture thickens.

Once the veggies are done steaming, empty them into a large bowl.

Wait till the vegetables have cooled down then add the remaining vegetables and chickpeas.

Once the sauce has thickened, mix in with the bowl of vegetables.

Divide the ingredients into two pie pan and cover with puff pastry.

Cook until the pastry is golden brown (approximately 40 minutes.)

*This recipe is a great started but add as much or as little of each vegetable depending on your taste.*

DAILY MEALS

Breakfast

Jour 6

Chia seed pudding along side a lovely green juice.

Green juice was a simple pineapple, kale, water & kiwi blend. The perfect amount of sweet and sour.

Jour 7

Green juice again plus an english muffin broiled with half avocado mash& the other with a sold egg with lots of pepper!

Sometimes a simple smoothie or chia seed pudding doesn’t do it for me. If I’m hungry I tend to go with something a little higher in fat (good fat of course.)

Lunch

Both days consisted of leftovers.. A little bit of chickpea pasta and sauce (the one feature in my first blog.) A salad with things I had in the fridge: chickpeas, black beans, avocado, tomato, spring mix, beets, a little goat cheese (I couldn’t help myself), cucumber and some shredded carrots.

Dinner

YUM YUM YUM I had the chickenless pot pie! It was so good and I was SO hungry that I forgot to snap a pic… next time.

Snacks

I’ve had a sweet tooth the last few days so lots and LOTS of fruit and berries.

Raw veggies & hummus.

Drinks

Water

Green juice (honestly it taste like the smoothie from Booster Juice aka delicious)